Lubricating device



Jam 28, 1936. F. R. DIPPMAN LUBRICATING DEVICE Filed June 25, 1934 Inventor R50 R. 00F 1'- y e n r M A i atented Jan. 28, 1936 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFMIE Application June 23, 1934, Serial No. 732,058

13 Claims.

My invention relates to apparatus for lubrieating trolley wires.

The main object of my invention is to apply to the running surface of a trolley wire a thin coating of lubricating material which will protect the wire against abrasion from the current collector and which will have a tendency to give to the trolley wire a high degree of smoothness.

My invention resides in the new and novel construction, combination and relation of the various parts hereinafter described in this specification and shown in the drawing, and the various steps employed in applying the said coating.

In the drawing:

Fig. l is a side View of my invention with parts in partial section.

Fig. 2 is a top view of my invention.

Fig. 3 is a sectional view on the line 3-3 of Fig. 1.

Figs. 4, 5 and 6 are parts of my invention hereinafter fully described.

In the preferred embodiment of my invention I provide a support member I which may be mounted upon a trolley pole 2 or other support. I also employ a current collector 3 preferably of the sliding or shoe type which is mounted upon the support I to pivot relative thereto by means of the standard 4 which is pivotally mounted on the member I and to pivot about its longitudinal or substantially vertical axis. The standard is held in assembled position by means of the nut 5. The pole 2 or other support is mounted on a vehicle.

The shoe 3, preferably of metal, is mounted upon the standard 4 by means of the pin 6 permitting the shoe to pivot in a substantially vertical plane or a plane coinciding with the axis of the standard 4. The shoe 3 need not function as a current collector unless so desired but is a guide for the device under all circumstances.

Secured to the under side of the shoe is a frame 7 formed preferably of sheet metal and having downwardly projecting and spaced sides 8 connected by a fiat member 9 which is directly secured to the shoe.

The member 9 is provided with an opening I0 and radial slots I I. The standard 4 extends through the opening I0 and the bolts or screws I2 extend through the radial slots I! thus securing the frame 'I to the shoe. The bolts I2 are tightened to a degree which will permit the frame "I to pivot laterally with respect to the shoe.

The side members 8 project beyond the member 9 and positioned between the projecting portions of the member 8 is a receptacle I 3 which has a portion I4 which is directly secured to the members 8 by means of thru-bolts I5.

The receptacle I3 has mounted within the rec'ess I6 by means of the pin I? a grooved wheel I8 arranged to contact and roll along the trolley wire I9.

The receptacle acts as a container for a lubricating material which may consist of very finely divided graphite held in suspension in a fluid such as water, oil, carbon tetrachloride, etc'., and the wheel I8 has its lower portion submerged in said lubricating liquid.

The receptacle I3 is provided with a hinged cover 2| yieldingly held in a closed position by means of the spring 22 and the opening which is closed by the cover 2| acts as a convenient means through which the lubricant may be admitted to the receptacle since the receptacle is substantially closed.

Mounted upon the lower end of the standard 4 is a collar 23 having a transverse pin 24 upon which is mounted one end of a spring 25 while the other end of the spring is secured to the pin 26 mounted upon the receptacle, and this spring tends to constantly urge the receptacle upward and hence maintains the Wheel I8 in contact with the conductor I9. The collar 23 is arranged to pivot on the standard t thus permitting the spring to move readily with the receptacle relative to the shoe 3.

The receptacle is open along the upper face and I provide an insert 2? which fits within the opening 28 between the flanges 29 and is secured thereto by means of screws 30. The upper edges of the insert at 3i are turned inwardly and over lap the edges of the wheel 58 thus catching and returning to the bottom of the receptacle the liquid lubricating material which might otherwise be thrown off from the wheel.

The upright sides of the insert 2? are cross connected by means of the member 32 at one end and 33 at the other end and these cross connecting members are secured to the receptacle by means of screws 34. The upright sides of the insert 2'! are also connected by a cross member 35 which acts as a seat or holder for a brush provided with bristles 36 which contact with the bottom and sides of the trolley wire and also with the side faces of the supports for the trolley wire. The brush is held in position by means of the screw 31 threadably mounted in a cross member 38 of the receptacle and access to the screw is secured through the opening closed by the cover 2|.

The bristles 36 of the brush will remove any excess lubricant which may be applied by the wheel and wiil become saturated with the lubrieating compound upon the wire and will spread the compound evenly over the surface of the wire more thoroughly and extensively than done with the wheel l3 alone since the wheel has a fir-zed groove and also the brush will apply the lubricant to the side faces of the trolley ears or clamps as it passes the same and this is found of great advantage as the current collectors used on the cars will contact and rub the side surfaces of such clamps and ears.

In order to regulate the amount of lubricant carried by the wheel upwardly and into contact with the wire, I employ a wiper 39 which has a sheet metal plate 40 which is secured in posivided with downwardly and forwardly projecting arms :33 which are mounted closely to the sides of the wheel i8 and thus limiting very largely the amount of lubricant which would be otherwise carried upwardly on the side faces of the wheel thus reducing the amount of lubricant to be thrown ofi and caught by the members 3 l The wiper element 42 is held in position by means of the screws 44 extending therethru and into the plate45.

Lubricating devices have been made in which the main supply of lubricating material is contained in a tank remotely disposed to the applying mechanism and connected thereto by means of flexible conductors, but I have found that portion of the equipment for containing such excess supply and delivering it to the applying mechanism is not necessary and adds materially to the cost thereof. Therefore, I employ a much simpler arrangement for lubricating the trolley wire and it is only necessary for an operator to occasionally replenishthe lubricating material contained in the receptacle i3 by pouring the game through the opening closed by the cover 25. a

If desired, the member 3 may be made of bakelite or fibre in'place of a metal in which instance the shoe would not act as a current collector and this is possible and possibly advisable where the vehicle is equipped with a duplicate trolley or trolleys, one in advance of the other, or where the lubricating apparatus is mounted upon a trailer. In either case, however, the shoe 3 will act as a guide for the members i and 2 and the trailing portion of the apparatus relative to the trolley wire.

The trolley pole 2 is of the usual type mounted on a vehicle and is provided at the lower end with the usual spring for constantly urging the free end of the pole to move upwardly. The socket I may be insulated from the pole 2 by an interposed sleeve of insulating material such as metal and used to collect current.

The shoe 3 may be mounted upon the trolley pole 2 in other manners than shown and which The .lateral pivotal W are standard construction. movement of the shoe 3 and receptacle I3 relative to the support and to each other is of decided advantage, especially at crossings, switches, on curves, etc., and tends to prevent wear and tear upon the device and dewirements of the same.

The lubricant is applied to the wire only when the device moves along the wire.

The terms vertical and horizontal are used with respect to the device as normally associated with the trolley wire and are relative and not intended to be exact.

Having described my invention, modifications will suggest themselves to those skilled in the art; therefore, I wish to belirnited only by my claims. a

I claim:-

1. A lubricating device for trolley wires comprising a receptacie to retain a quantity of lubrieating material, support secured to a vehicle, the receptacle sustained by the support in spaced relation to the vehicle and arranged to pivot in a substantially horizontal plane, a wheel mounted to rotate within the receptacle and engage the trolley wire and contact with the lubricating material as the wheel rotates and apply the material upon the'wire, yielding means urging the receptacle towards the trolley wire and means associated with the receptacle and spaced from the wheel and movable relative to the receptacle in a substantially horizontal plane to guideyone' end of the receptacle relative to the trolley wire.

2. A lubricating device for trolley wires comprising a receptacle to retain a. quantity of lubricating material, a support secured to a vehicle, the receptacle sustained by the support in spaced relation to the vehicle and arranged to pivot in a substantially horizontal plane, a wheel mounted to rotate within the receptacle and engage the trolley wire and contact with the lubricating material as the wheel rotates and apply the material upon the wire, yielding means urging the receptacle towards the trolley wire, means associated with the receptacl and spaced from the wheel and movable relative to the receptacle in a substantially horizontal plane to guide one end of the receptacle relative to the trolley wire and a yielding member to contact with the trolley wire in trailing relation to the wheel to remove excess lubricant from the wire and distribute the lubricant over the surface of the wire.

3. A lubricating device for trolley wires comprising a receptacle to retain a. quantity of lubricating material, a support secured to a vehicle, the receptacle sustained by the support in spaced relation to the vehicle and arranged to pivot in a substantially horizontal plane, a wheel mounted to rotate within the receptacle and engage the trolley wire and contact with the lubricating material as the wheel rotates and apply the material upon the wire, yielding means constantly urging the receptacle towards the trolley wire and a I brush adapted to contact with the lower and side surfaces of the trolley wire to remove any excess lubricant applied to the wire and distribute the remaining lubricant over the said surfaces.

4. A lubricating device for a trolley Wire comv prising a receptacle to retain a quantityof liquid fibre, soft rubber, etc., in which case a conductor may lead directly from the socket i to a point within the vehicle providing the member 3 is of I lubricant, means to secure the receptacle to a support to pivot in a substantially horizontal plane relative to the support, means mounted within the receptacle to engage the trolley wire and apply the lubricant to the trolley wire, means to limit the amount of lubricant applied by said mounted means and yielding means to engage a portion of the trolley wire surface to distribute the applied lubricant over the surface of the wire.

5. A lubricating device for a trolley wire comprising a receptacle to retain a liquid lubricant, means to secure the receptacle to a support to pivot in planes substantially at right angles to each other, means mounted within the receptacle to engage the trolley wire and apply the lubricant to the trolley wire, means to limit the amount of lubricant applied by said mounted means and yielding means to engage a. portion of the trolley wire surface to distribute the applied lubricant over the surface of the wire.

6. A lubricating device for a trolley wire comprising a receptacle to retain a liquid lubricant, means to secure the receptacle to a support to pivot in a substantially horizontal plane, an opening in the receptacle through which the lubricant may be poured to fill the receptacle and a cover for the opening, rotatable means mounted within the receptacle to engage the trolley wire and apply the lubricant to the trolley wire, means to limit the amount of lubricant applied by said mounted means and yielding means to engage the trolley wire surface to distribute the applied lubricant over the surface of the wire as the device moves along the wire.

7. A lubricating device for a trolley wire comprising a receptacle mounted on a support to retain a liquid lubricant, means to secure the receptacle to the support to pivot in a substantially vertical plane, a wheel mounted to rotate within the receptacle and engage the trolley wire from below and dip into said lubricant as the wheel rotates and deposit the lubricant upon a portion of the surface of the wire and a brush secured to the receptacle and engaging the lower surface of the wire to distribute the applied lubricant over the surface of the wire.

8. A lubricating device comprising a grooved guide to engage a trolley wire from below and slide therealong, a support for the guide and means to secure the support to a second support arranged to be mounted on a vehicle, a separately formed receptacle detachably associated with the guide and arranged to pivot relative to the guide in a plane substantially at right angles to a vertical plane and to hold a quantity of liquid lubricant, a rotating means mounted in the receptacle to rotate therein and dip into the lubricant and to engage with the trolley wire and distribute the said material thereon.

9. A lubricating device for a trolley wire comprising a receptacle to retain a lubricating material, the receptacle is mounted on a support secured to a vehicle and arranged to pivot in a substantially horizontal plane and a vertical plane relative to the support, means mounted in the receptacle to engage the trolley wire and apply the lubricant thereto as the vehicle moves along below the wire, yielding means adjacent the receptacle constantly urging the receptacle towards the wire, means to govern the amount of lubricant applied to the trolley wire and other means to smooth out the lubricant applied to the wire.

10. A lubricating device for a trolley wire comprising a support, a receptacle adapted to retain a quantity of lubricating material mounted on the support to pivot in a substantially horizontal plane and a vertical plane, means to mount the receptacle on the support, means associated with the receptacle to engage and slide along the wire and maintain the advancing end of the receptacle spaced at a predetermined distance from the wire, means associated with the receptacle and dipping into the lubricant to engage and roll along the wire to apply the lubricant thereto and a yielding means associated with the receptacle at its trailing end to evenly distribute the lubricant on the wire.

11. A lubricating device for a trolley wire comprising a support, a pair of spaced members to contact with the wire, one member to slide along the wire and the other member to roll therealong and apply a lubricant to the wire, a receptacle arranged to substantially enclose the rotating member and to hold the lubricant in contact with the rotatable member, means to mount the members and the receptacle upon the support and permit them to pivot relative to the support in a vertical plane and about a substantially vertical akis and means associated with the receptacle to contact with the wire and distribute the lubricant along the surface of the wire after being deposited thereon by the rotating member.

12. A trolley wire lubricating device comprising a receptacle, means associated with the receptacle and forming three contacts with the underside of the wire, one means engaging and sliding along the wire to position one end of the receptacle relative to the wire and another means rotating within the receptacle to apply a lubricant to the wire as the device moves along the wire and the remaining means engaging the wire to remove excess lubricant therefrom, and means to mount the receptacle on a support to pivot in two planes at right angles to each other.

13. A part of a trolley wire lubricating device, comprising a receptacle to hold a fluid lubricant, a separately formed cover with an elongated slot opening into the receptacle permitting access to the lubricant within the receptacle for application to the wire, means to attach the cover to the receptacle, a guide to engage the trolley wire, means to mount the guide to pivot on a support, separately formed means interposed between the receptacle and guide to support the receptacle relative to the guide, means to attach the separately formed means to the guide and other means to attach it to the receptacle and means through which a lubricant may be supplied to the receptacle.

FRED R. DIPPMAN. 

